


Summer Birthday

by VelvetSky



Series: Through the Years [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Birthday, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 20:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12895647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelvetSky/pseuds/VelvetSky
Summary: Steve and Darcy have been married for years, and it's the morning of their daughter's 5th birthday.





	Summer Birthday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [McGregorsWench](https://archiveofourown.org/users/McGregorsWench/gifts).



> So this was meant to be a birthday fic for @mcgregorswench at the end of September. I was nearly finished with it the first week of October and anticipated only being a couple weeks belated with it, however, life took some turns and so I only just finished this last night. So, here it is finally. A Summery Birthday story in December. lol Very belated happy birthday, and happy holidays. I hope you enjoy it. :)
> 
> Unbetaed.

The beginning of the year had been busy, the Avengers had taken out a global threat from beyond Earth. It had taken the whole crew, which was bigger than ever, and had some help from some other people with special powers or abilities. It had consumed a couple of months, from the initial disruptions, through the big strike that had been taken at Earth. It had shaken a lot of people, but it had also, in the wake, created a greater calm around the world as people felt a sense that the whole world had banded together to survive. Tony had thought it warranted some real vacation for the whole crew. So it was out to the Hamptons for a whole chunk of the summer. They would be close enough to both the Tower and the Compound that if anything unexpected happened, they could easily get some equipment and go, but it was also far enough, and different enough that it felt like a real vacation.

Howard Stark had bought up a place out there not long after the war, and had added nearby properties through the 1980s to build himself a compound to get away to, as well as some properties he rented out for extra income. Tony spent many summers of his youth there. After Howard died though, Tony mostly let the places be rentals and even pondered selling them off a few times in the 90s. Though he would throw a once a year party out there over Memorial Day weekend to kick off the summer. It was only since marrying Pepper, that Tony started using the place more regularly again.

The whole crew arrived just a few days before Sarah's birthday in late June to the Hamptons compound and quickly got to enjoying the beach. Sarah was about to turn five years old, while James had turned two in April. Both kids seemed really excited for the summer at the beach. There was even a little party planned for Sarah in the afternoon. All the Avengers would be there, plus the handful of spouses and children. The whole day was promised to be a day of fun for Sarah though.

The morning of Sarah's birthday, Steve had woken early, as always, and went out for a run with Sam, Rhodey, Maria, and Thor. Thor didn't really need to run, neither did Steve for that matter, but Thor was curious about the custom of humans working out so he was tagging along, plus he was the only one who could keep up with Steve's running. Darcy on the other hand was sleeping in. Sometimes she got woken up by the kids if they woke up while Steve was out running, but since they had Bucky staying with them in the little cottage house on one of Tony's properties, he headed off the kids before they could barge into their mother's room. Sam was staying there too, but Sam was out running. Bucky didn't really see the appeal of running as an activity, maybe too much time having to run as a survival tactic, he had no desire to do it if he didn't have to. The only time he liked running was when he was running around chasing or being chased by the kids.

Bucky made the kids breakfast, took them outside to play a bit, and kept them occupied when Steve came back and grabbed a shower after his run. By the time Darcy got up, she found Sam lounging in the living room having breakfast and reading, while Steve and Bucky were outside with the kids, running around. She grabbed herself a cup of coffee before wandering outside in her pajamas and flip flops.

Tony's property had everything, and then some. They had gotten the cottage because it was right near the play area, which was basically a sizable playground with park or schoolyard grade play equipment, swings, a treehouse, and a half court basketball court. There were also benches and tables, and nice trees for shade. The kids had been very, very excited when they saw that they had a huge playground in their yard for the vacation. Apparently so much so, that Uncle Tony was starting to talk about building something similar at The Compound.

Darcy crossed the grass and set her cup on a table under the tree before heading for the swings where Sarah was, while Steve and Bucky hovered around the large play equipment with the slides and things to climb that it seemed little James had decided to try climbing by himself. The whole scene filled her with warmth that shone all over her expression. "Happy birthday, Sarah Bear."

Sarah hopped off the swing, grinning and rushed over to her mother, "morning, Mama!"

Darcy lifted Sarah up and got a wonderful hug and cuddle. Her little girl kept getting bigger. She could still lift and carry her, but Darcy definitely found her arms got tired faster lately when she tried to carry Sarah around too long. "Morning, Baby. Are you excited it's your birthday?"

"Yes!" Sarah bounced a little in Darcy's arms. Darcy giggled and shifted to keep a better hold. Steve crossed over to them with a smile and planted a kiss on his wife's lips, and then one on his daughter's head.

"Did you want a special breakfast or anything?" Darcy usually made a point of making a favorite breakfast for people's birthdays, everyone's birthdays.

"I did, Uncle Bucky made me pancakes." Bucky glanced over when he heard his name and smiled.

"Aw, that was very nice of Uncle Bucky." Darcy was slowly moving closer to the big slide on the play equipment where Bucky stood watching James. Steve followed with her.

"It was really yummy." Sarah wiggled slightly and Darcy let her down so she could skip back to the swings.

"Thanks for making her breakfast." Darcy rubbed a light hand on Bucky's back. He smiled and gave her a quick hug and kissed her cheek.

"No problem. Thought you might like sleeping in a little, and I was up already when the kids stirred. They were feeling hungry, so I made them breakfast. Let Sarah pick since it was her birthday." Bucky's attention shifted back to little James who was at the top of a rather tall part of the equipment, looking at the tall slide that was probably intended for kids Sarah's age and older.

Steve shifted closer to Darcy and kissed her temple, eyes on James, unsure if the boy would be daring, and go down the slide or not. "I think he wants to go down, but he's hesitating."

"Well, that must be something he got from Darcy. Cause you didn't know caution if it punched you in the face." Bucky smirked at Steve who just rolled his eyes. 

Darcy laughed and gave Steve a squeeze while she watched her son's face for what the little boy was thinking. "Do you want to go down the slide, James?"

James still appeared ponderous. "If you want to try, I'll catch you." Bucky positioned himself at the end of the slide. It was covered near the top and had a little curve in the middle, which meant looking down into the slide it was impossible to see the ground at the end.

"You can do it James. We're all here." Steve thought both his kids were fairly daring and brave for their ages, though James did seem to exhibit a touch of caution at times. Perhaps Sarah did too, but not as much, which as a parent, he finally appreciated just how nerve wracking that could be. He appreciated caution in situations that seemed to warrant it. He actually thought most of his own risks were reasonable calculated, though others didn't always agree with that. But he knew his own limitations and what he could handle, and he didn't think twice about throwing himself into something. Even fights in alleys when he was young that he knew he wouldn't win. He had always seemed to be a survivor, and if by chance he didn't, then at least he went down swinging, standing up for himself or for something he believed, to him that was caution. After the serum, perhaps his risks got bigger, but his ability to mentally process all the risks and chances of success got faster, so he figured it actually meant he was more careful now than he was as a kid. 

Darcy kissed Steve's cheek and moved to climb the playground equipment, thinking she could help James decide what he wanted to do. He'd been brave enough to climb up on his own, she figured he might enjoy the slide, but was perhaps nervous not being able to see down it. Little James was looking between the opening of the slide in front of him and the end of it and Bucky when Darcy reached the platform he was on. She knelt down next to her son, "are you nervous about going down the slide?"

"Yeah." James was looking at her now. He didn't look scared, just a little unsure.

"You don't have to go down it. But if you want to try I will sit here, and Uncle Bucky and Daddy are at the other end to catch you. Do you want to try it?" Darcy felt like he wanted to, that he was just a step from going for it, just needed that little nudge.

"Yeah," though he still looked a little wary, one hand holding onto two of Darcy's fingers.

"Do you want Mama to go down with you?" He smiled and nodded as soon as she asked, which made her laugh softly. Darcy sat down, glancing down at Steve who appeared to be just grinning watching the whole scene. Little James climbed on her lap, looking much more at ease. "Ready?"

"Yeah!" James threw his little arms in the air. Darcy giggled and shifted to go down the slide. She had enough control with her feet to not go as fast as it could have, just so that the first time down wouldn't be too fast for her son. They reach the bottom fast enough, with James giggling, and Darcy smiling.

"Good job, Little Man!" Bucky was smiling and lifted James up when the boy reached out for him.

Steve was standing next to Bucky, grinning. Darcy and the kids brought out smiles that Steve had never had before. "Was that fun?"

"Yeah!" James grinned back at his father, while bouncing in Bucky's arms. The pure excitement of a child made them all laugh a bit.

“Have you eaten?” Bucky looked at Darcy while Little James cuddled up with him.

“I haven’t, just some coffee.” Darcy certainly could eat, keeping up with her birthday girl all day would take some energy.

"I could make you some pancakes."

"I can fix myself something." Bucky really did so much for them, Darcy didn't want him to feel like he had to feed her too. Not that she didn't feed him all the time, it just somehow seemed different, she was generally cooking for Steve anyway, so it was easy enough to make enough for Bucky too.

"There's still plenty of pancake batter, I'll make you some. Unless you just don't want pancakes." Darcy had welcomed Bucky as part of the family from the start, and continued to do so. Making her breakfast occasionally and helping with the kids seemed the least Bucky could do in return.

"I'm always up for pancakes." They all chuckled a little, even James. It was a known fact at that point to nearly everyone who lived at the Compound that there were an assortment of foods that Darcy never tired of, pizza, chocolate chip cookies, pasta, and pancakes.

"Can I have another pancake?" Sarah had appeared, bouncing on her toes next to her father at the mention of there being more pancakes.

"Sure, your party isn't for another couple hours. If you're hungry enough to eat another couple pancakes, that's okay." Steve smiled at his daughter and leaned to kiss her head before she cheered and grabbed Bucky's hand to pull him back toward the cottage.

"Thank you!" Darcy and Steve smiled at each other when they both called a thanks to Bucky as he was lead away with their kids.

"I know it's Sarah's birthday, but you're the one who did the work that day, so in my opinion, you deserve a little relaxing for the day." Steve took the opportunity to have a moment alone with Darcy.

"True, so I won't turn down a few moments to relax, or have someone make me breakfast today." She giggled though, it was sort of funny, and she was just happy to be spending the summer with family and friends. And her daughter's fifth birthday was sort of amazing, how fast kids grew and how quick time passed, it was scary and crazy sometimes. Watching her kids grow was amazing though. There were some rough times, such was life, but ever since Steve, she felt like the moments like these where she just felt pure love and happiness outweighed the moments of worry and stress.

"Those little people sure make life interesting." Steve chuckled a little, his arms curled tight around Darcy, pulling her in close, as he nuzzled his nose in her hair for a moment. Letting himself get a little lost in the full sensation of her.

Darcy loved when Steve nuzzled into her like this. The warmth rushed through her as she held him close, her eyes closing for a long moment. "Like it wasn't interesting enough before. But those little faces do make every day a little brighter."

"And with a little more purpose. Sometimes I still have to stop and process that this is my life now. That we made those little people together. That I really do have more in my life. For a long time, before the serum and everything, I felt like I didn't have much. There were times the only thing I did have was Bucky. Now I have you, and the kids, and the Avengers. My life actually feels like it's full, and full of good. And a lot of that, most of that, is because of you." Steve didn't always pour himself out, but quiet moments on special days like this, it seemed to come out of him. Perhaps because he spent most days at work with a game face on. Because he'd always, even before Captain America, kept a careful lid on his feelings, because that was how men were back then. Back then, the only people who he let his guard down around were his mother and Bucky, and the older he got the more he tried to even keep a stoic face on for his mom. She worked hard, and he wasn't a child any longer, he had to make sure she knew she didn't have to tend him all the time, that he was man enough to take care of himself, so she didn't worry so much about him. He had opened up a bit to Peggy, but when he woke up in a new century without anyone, he'd struggled. He really had no one he felt safe revealing himself to, until he found Darcy.

"When I stop and think about the fact we made those two little kids, it is an amazing I don't even have words for." Her lips nipped at his bottom lip as Steve smiled. Though his lips quickly shifted from smiling to kissing her back.

They lingered a few minutes, taking advantage of the fact the kids were being busied inside. Kissing in the shade of the trees, with the fresh ocean air around them. They had been together a lot of years, and the magic was still there. Perhaps because they got these moments. There was no rush to head inside, Bucky would save her pancakes. Steve and Darcy took the opportunity to linger, wrapped in the other's gaze and embrace.

Steve wasn't always good at relaxing, it wasn't something his life had allowed him to do much of, but he was really enjoying this vacation already. Not that they never took moments to savor each other in their daily lives, they did, but the pace of the last few days felt so nice. Darcy was also his reason for taking moments to slow down and let himself take a few breaths to relax. "You really are the piece that was missing from my life before though. The kids were just part of the amazing that was produced because you became a part of my life."

"Oh, Steve," Darcy did kind of love when he opened up. Not that she didn't feel loved all the time by him. Steve had his little ways of showing how much he loved her all the time. But the feeling that came when he put it into words was a little extra special. "I couldn't imagine where I'd be or who I'd be without you."

He pulled her in a little tighter and kissed her again. Several more minutes passed as they did. There was a faint sound of little laughing voices from the cottage, which made them pull back and smile at one another. They didn't rush, strolling with their arms around each other across the grass, but the sound of their kids laughing did seem to draw them back inside.

**Author's Note:**

> Just found, after, that apparently parents sliding with kids is actually sort of hazardous, there's a few articles that come up with an easy google. So, don't try this at home folks.


End file.
